Kirin
Created by the fire god, [[Ignacio|'Ignacio']], the Kirin is one of [[Hireath Equines|'Hireath's Equines']] and is native to Eithne. Kirins were thought to be extinct until the spring of 1700, when the first kirin child was born in [[Aodh Herd|'Aodh']]... and afterwards, hundreds began appearing out of thin air, all across the lands of Hireath. Biology Kirins have only just begun to repopulate the world, and no one understands just how they are doing it. As though summoned by magic, kirins of all ages are simply... appearing, sometimes right in the middle of a crowded street! Don't bother asking how they got there or where they came from, either. It seems like these strange kirins are lucky just to remember their names. Like all Hireath equines, kirins are born with [[telekinesis|'telekinesis']]. Physical Attributes Scales: A kirin's most obvious trait is the presence of scales. While scales can cover the kirin entirely or be as minimal as a dorsal stripe, most individuals have around 50% coverage, with the scales reaching down from the topline. Scales come in a variety of shapes, sizes, luster, color, and decoration. Some kirin's scales even change color based on environment or mood! Antlers: Kirins naturally have two antlers, which can be made of bone, keratin, metals, and/or extremely sturdy glass. Antlers can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors - some antlers even connect with one another as the kirin grows them out! Kirins don't shed their antlers, so it's probably a good thing that they're so hard to break. A broken antler is rare, and sadly it won't grow back. Fangs: Kirins, despite their vegetarian diets, are the only Hireath equine to possess naturally sharp teeth. Most only have sharp canines, but some have an entire mouth full of carnivorous chompers. One assumes it's a little hard for the latter to eat. Vertical Pupils: Every kirin has vertical pupils that can narrow to slits or dilate wide. As a result, kirins can see well in all but total darkness, and they adapt quickly to changes in light. A layer of tapetum lucidum at the back of the eye reflects light, meaning their eyes can shine in the dark. Spooky. Cloven Hooves: All kirins have cloven hooves, and they come in a surprising variety of shapes. The color can match their horns. Tails: Every kirin has a lion tail. Most tails reach to the hocks and terminate in a tassel, but some kirin tails are completely covered in hair and/or scales. Hair: Speaking of hair, kirins can have a lot of it... or none of it. It really depends on the individual, but the 'typical' kirin has a stripe of hair down their spine and along their chest and belly, and probably some on their fetlocks. Fire Immunity Kirins are completely immune to heat. They don't sweat or dehydrate easily. They can perceive heat, of course, but because it does not harm them, they lack a pain response to it, and will describe standing in an open flame as being 'pleasantly tingly'. They can even walk on lava, but question why anyone would want to... it's like stomping through thick, angry mud. Not pleasant! On the flipside, kirins are pretty susceptible to cold and experience hypothermia easier than other equines. Their bodies have a miserable time adapting to places like Onea. Life cycle Kirins are born with soft, delicate scales that will harden over the first few hours of their life. Their antlers will begin to sprout between 10 and 14 months old. They are very itchy when they start to break through the skin; babies are known to rub their little heads against every available surface in search of relief. Kirins molt throughout their lifetime, but it's hardly dramatic. Rather than shedding all at once, kirins lose individual scales one at a time, which quickly grow back into tougher, vibrant scales. The molting process is really only noticeable in children and young teens, who shed so often and so quickly that they'll take on a 'patchy' appearance. As adults, a complete molt can take up to two or three years to complete. Reincarnation Characters in-game are not aware of the following information. Every kirin brought into Starborn Alignment is a reincarnation of a kirin that died in the Smothering; the only exception is a foal born using a fertility necklace. Unless your reincarnated kirin is a young child, it is mandatory that they actively participated in the God's War regardless of their morals or personality. When a god walks the earth, they form a bond with their people - a connection of the soul where thoughts, motivations and ideals are shared and reinforced. As the kirins grew prideful of their accomplishments and all they had to offer the world, this pride was felt through the bond, and reflected by Ignacio as a god’s undying love. That pride would be cycled between mortal and creator, reinforced and growing stronger with every passing, until pride became elitism, and elitism turned to the ravenous need to destroy the perceived imperfections of their world. The gods refer to this gradual build of negative feelings and the resulting involuntary madness as a poisoned bond. Ignacio and his kirins became victims to the poisoning and, unable to escape the violent thoughts that ravaged their minds like a virus, they marched upon Hireath. From the eldest Herald, to the most delicate Master, to the smallest child - every kirin packed and abandoned Valore with a single-minded purpose to conquer and reconstruct Hireath in their image. Those that could not fight became medics, scouts, tacticians, generals, supply runners, wardens - or if they were young, simply kept to the established camps where a minder fed them propaganda and praises. With their minds and hearts eroded, there was no room for empathy, for pity, for compassion; the gentle nature of each and every kirin was snuffed beneath a desire that bid them to commit atrocities. Unable to destroy the poisoned bond without destroying one of its hosts, the gods chose to eradicate the kirins in hopes that Ignacio would regain himself. They succeeded. Centuries later, Ignacio sought to revive his children. The gods cannot create new life without the cooperation of the entire pantheon, but after a repentant Kaia discovered Ignacio's plans, the two gods were able to bring back the kirins whose souls remained bound to Hireath. Knowing that it was dangerous to gather the kirins in Eithne, Kaia designated that the reincarnations should be isolated to the other continents, where they could integrate into the other herds and learn to love their non-kirin fellows, and in turn the gods of Sky, Arcane and Water would love them as well; it is compulsory for a star to adore the mortals who inhabit their lands. Trusting in his sister's judgement and eager to help his children adapt to their new lives (and not be burdened by the old), Ignacio tore the memories of each soul into paltry fragments. Most kirins remember little more than their name. Resurrecting All member kirins come into the world via ‘pop-in’ reincarnation, which is a sudden, violent burst of energy that pulls the kirin into existence. Kirins can reincarnate anywhere in Hireath, and can become a member of any faction. They will not appear over large bodies of water or in dramatically uninhabitable places, and are in fact more likely to appear in the middle of a crowd than out in the wilderness. All kirins start as Outcasts (unless they are in Aodh) and must acquire a rank. Born Blessed A kirin who is ‘born blessed’ is understood to be reincarnating with their old (pre-death) blessing intact. Before the God’s War, the herds were segregated by breed, and prayed only to their patron god. Thus, only Ignacio blessings are available for ‘born blessed’ kirins. Memories Before King Soleil restored the memories of all Kirins during theHeralds of Ash event, every reincarnated kirin suffered from memory loss in regards to their past life. Most kirins only remembered their name and age, but the following memories are also acceptable in varying frequency. Note that all kirins now remember everything about their former lives, except for the corruption during the God's War. If your kirin reincarnated before Soleil restored kirin-kind's memories, here is what they could have remembered: Common things your kirin could have remembered * that they died, perhaps violently (but not how) * their previous monarch, King Soleil * the name and appearance of family members, lovers, and friends * the nature of aforementioned relationships * the city of Old Valore, now known as The Bones (but not its destruction) * Dragon Hoplites and Physicians can recall the ancient wyverns (but not individual ones) * Heralds can recall that the Gods walked the earth, and that the Herald themself had a relationship with Ignacio Rare things your kirin could have remembered * Gods walked the earth (not rare for Heralds) * Your character had a personal relationship with Ignacio, in the flesh (not rare for Heralds) * That they were destroyed by the other gods during the Smothering * That they declared war on Hireath * That they were not in control of their actions when they declared war on Hireath * The atrocities committed during the God’s War * Their previous rank in Ancient Kirin Society * Dragon Hoplites and Physicians can remember individual ancient wyverns, including their partner for the former. Xenophobia Regardless of their memories, kirins are predisposed to xenophobia. Xenophobia can manifest in several ways: a fear of other breeds, finding them quaint, polite bemusement at their appearance and/or customs, a desire to ‘study’ them, or outright supremacy… to name a few. Completely unbiased kirins are rare and considered unrealistic by staff. Ancient Kirin Society Kirin society remains largely shrouded in mystery. Here is what we know. The kirins inhabited the city of Old Valore, a glittering metropolis known for its creative innovation and industrial advancements. Their buildings were crafted with marble, limestone, wood, terracotta, and baked brick. The remains of a massive open-air theatre hint that the kirins were as passionate about the arts as they were the pursuit of knowledge. As in modern Aodh society, the ancient kirins did not practice gender norms, and their vocabulary was thus largely absent of gendered terms. The current ruler held the King title regardless of their sex, and warriors were as likely to be women as they were to be men. It is a common misconception that kirins practiced slavery. The ancient herds comprised entirely of one breed, meaning only kirins would have been available as slaves, something that no kirin would endorse, for they were a people fiercely proud of their own. To disrespect one kirin’s autonomy was to disrespect them all. But while the ancient kirins held themselves in high regard, they did not extend the same sentiment to other breeds. Their society was xenophobic to the tune of racial superiority, and largely did not interact with the other herds. Like all herds of antiquity, the kirins were blessed to have their god walk among them. Ignacio served as an adviser and aid to his people, connected by the tethers of emotion and divine affinity. Though the herd served a mortal King, this monarchical figure was guided by the Fire God, their desires and ambitions always in sync. The ranks of ancient kirin society are as follows: The King and Royal Family' -' The herd's ruler, designated by Ignacio himself, and their nuclear family. This rank will only be made available during special events. Heralds'' - ''Scholars with a close connection to Ignacio. These horses were tasked with spreading his messages to the herd, scribing events both scientific and culturally relevant, and studying under the guidance of a god’s near omnipotence. They lived within Ignacio’s sanctum as residents, priests, scholars and messengers. Dragon Hoplites - 'Elite soldiers who were removed from their families at a young age and sent to train at an undisclosed location near Mt Oriel. Youngsters who proved incapable of completing the brutal training regime would be sent home, while those that remained were given a dragon’s egg around the age of thirteen. This egg would be nurtured in solitude. Upon hatching, the dragon soulbonded to its kirin partner, and grew alongside them as their training continued. At eighteen, the kirin graduated into a full-fledged soldier- a hoplite- with a fully grown dragon at their side. Kirins did not ride dragons, but commanded them in battle through a telekinetic link provided by the soul-bonding process. '''Armored Hoplites - ''Soldiers who adhered to a code of chivalry and were trained in several forms of combat, from unarmed to swordplay, archery to heavy weaponry. These horses begin training at a young age, and would generally grow up in the barracks, surrounded by mentors and other like-minded youngsters. In contrast to the Dragon Hoplites, who tend to operate as a single unit and infantry soldier, Armored Hoplites work and coordinate as a team. They are thus predispositioned to work well with others, and have a close camaraderie with their fellows. Physician - Innovative healers famous for practicing cutting edge theories and experimental treatments. There are two types: those that treated their fellow equine, and those that treated dragons. These kirins were highly intelligent, able to utilize both herbs and chemicals to treat their patients, and always hungry to learn more about their craft. Masters - Kirins who focused on the fine arts, utilizing the theory of design to create paintings, mosaics, and sculpture that often related to their herd’s culture and history. Masters were commonly well educated in the sciences due to the high demand for illustrated medical texts; some even fashioned themselves as inventors alongside their artistic work. Members - What it says on the tin. These kirins ranged from farmers, to actors, to shop owners, and much more. The bulk of the herd, and as valuable under Ignacio’s watchful eye as any other. Creation Rules: The Kirin always: * is modeled after any breed or mixture of breeds from real life. This includes other non horse equines such as quaggas and donkeys) * comes in natural colors, but they can have minor unnatural markings. No geometrical markings or leopard spots, please! * has scales, which can be as minimal as a dorsal stripe or can completely cover the kirin. They can be based off of real reptiles or made up * possess cloven hooves * have vertical (slit) pupils capable of dilating dramatically * possess sharp canine teeth, or an entire mouth of carnivorous chompers. The latter makes it a bit difficult for them to eat, though! The Kirin can: * have a whole lot of hair. Most kirins are prone to strips of hair down the spine, belly, chin, neck, and fetlocks. * have two antlers, which can be made of bone, keratin, metals, and/or extremely sturdy glass. Antlers can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some antlers connect with one another as the kirin grows them out. Antlers must have tines, which can be decorative and stylized. * have eyes that are any hue, and are permitted to be gradient or bi-colored. The Kirin can not: * have a normal horse tail or hooves * have a false unicorn horn (all antlers must be tined) * have more than two antlers * burn. All kirins are immune to fire, with no exceptions Rarity Rolls A Rarity Roll enables your kirin character to be reincarnated with two or more souls in one body. The souls can be equally present, switch places, or have a dominant individual. The souls are '''distinct: '''you are playing two (or more) people sharing a body, and should think of them more like conjoined twins as opposed to "multiple personalities". Category:Creature Category:Species